


The Key is Confidence

by NikaylaSarae



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: OC -Callie, logan mention, university!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaylaSarae/pseuds/NikaylaSarae
Summary: Confidence. That was the key, his father had told him, to getting away with anything.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	The Key is Confidence

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on my Tumblr account @stillebesat.
> 
> December Drabbles Day 3

Confidence. That was the key, his father had told him, to getting away with anything. Confidence. Act like you belong. Act like you’re doing nothing out of the ordinary and no one will question it. 

Of course, considering his Dad had been arrested later that same day he’d drunkenly told his youngest son that little piece of advice... Roman doubted Confidence _could_ let you get away with anything. Just most things. 

Roman pushed through the doors of the Library, carefully holding the ginormous goblet out in front of him. 

Geez. When he’d come up with this idea, he hadn’t expected the cup to be made of wood. Who in their right mind would---oh right. No one in the drama department was in their right minds. Forget the thought. At least they’d been willing to let him borrow the three foot tall prop for this hair-brained scheme of his. 

“Sir!” 

Cue barricade number one. The front desk. 

Roman kept walking, mentally picturing the distance to the elevators. 

Pretend you don’t hear them calling. Keep that head raised. 

“ _Roman._ ” A familiar exasperated voice said from in front of him, while pressure on the cup told him that unless he wanted to knock the owner of said voice over and risk the wrath of the entire library...he would do well to stop walking.

Shoot. Cue barricade number two. 

He pulled a gracious smile onto his lips as he lowered his giant cup to see the top of Callie’s head. Why did she have to be so short? It made it difficult to see her coming. “Hey there Calliroo.” Roman said, inclining his head, getting only a raised eyebrow in return. 

Back straight. Shoulders down. He was doing nothing wrong. Confidence.

“You change your hair again? It looks nice. Wavy hair suits you.” He said trying to sidle to the side. Callie rolled her eyes, side stepping with him, her delicate fingers gripping the brim of the cup tightly. Roman was sure he could tear it from her hold easily, but it never bode well to offend the library staff. 

“No, and like I’ve told you before. No drinks in the library.” She scolded quietly. “Take this back.” 

Roman gasped, wishing his hands weren’t full of giant cup so he could bring a hand to his heart. “Me? Bring liquids in? Cal, my darling, you wound me.” He lowered the cup further, so she could look into it. “Do you see any liquid within the confines of this fine vessel? Tis as empty as the brains of this year’s crop of freshmen.”

She smirked, even as she glanced down into the cup, dipping her hand in to touch the bottom. Clever of her. He hadn’t had time to make a false bottom though. “Aren’t you a freshman, Roman?” She asked with an innocent tone. 

Ooo. Burn. But true. He was still in his first year, though he’d made it to his second semester. 

Roman chuckled, ducking his head. “Hey, I’m just trying to help out the nerd on the fifth floor. You know, with the tie?” He’d glimpsed the dude a couple of days earlier when he’d been scouting out a good mark. 

Callie blinked. “You mean Logan?” 

So _that_ was his name. The reservation desk had only shown the room being held for ‘Logic.’ 

Roman clicked his tongue and nodded. “That’s him.” 

Callie tilted her head, a strand of brown hair, falling across her face. “Why does he need it?” 

“To measure the circumference in relation to the ratio of the volume of the….” Roman trailed off, frowning. “I can’t remember the rest actually.” Considering he made that up on the spot...he didn’t need to remember any more. He shrugged. “I think it’s a Math thing.”

“He tutors Math.” 

Of course he did. And here he thought the nerd was just another medical student. 

Roman kept his smile, shrugging like he didn’t care. Though he did. His mother had always told him he needed to know his marks better than they knew themselves. But how was he supposed to have known Callie would be the one to stop him? She should have been shelving books on the third floor instead like she’d been scheduled to. “And?” 

“Why would he need such a large cup for that?”

He exhaled. Of all the rotten luck. Callie was always the type to ask too many questions. Questions that Roman needed to make up answers for if he ever tried a stunt like this again. “I don’t know, Callilicious, I’m not the math tutor here, just the messenger.” He offered her another smile, tilting his head to give her his best puppy-dog eyes. “Can I please drop it off to him now? I have my own studying I need to get to.” True enough. If everything else would go according to plan that is.

Callie blinked, giving a slight shake of her head as she tucked the loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Ro--” 

“It’s just a prop, you’ve established that there’s no icky sticky liquid inside of it.” He wheedled, lifting the cup back up so she could no longer look inside. “You know how Logami gets...” He hoped she knew because Roman had no clue beyond the fact that the Nerd had the same study room reserved at the same time everyday for the next six years. That was dedication. Dedication that Roman needed to tap into. 

Callie exhaled, shaking her head as she stepped to the side back into Roman’s view. “Alright. Go on up. _IF,”_ she stressed the word, showing she didn’t fully believe his story. A pity. He thought it had been pretty good. _“_ He actually needs this cup, I won’t keep you from giving it to him.” Her eyes flicked upwards, probably seeing through the ceiling to Logan’s study room. “We don’t need another Hives incident.” 

He blinked. Huh? “Hives?”

“Beehives.” She clarified, making shooing motions. “Go. Before I change my mind.” 

Roman grinned, bowing his head graciously to her. “Thanks.” He said quickly heading to the elevators before anyone else decided to stop him. 

Though no thanks for that interesting tidbit of information. He’d have to go digging for that story some other time. Beehives. That would be good knowledge to use in the future. 

Still. He’d managed to pass Barricade number two. Roman let his smile slide into a smirk as the elevator doors closed. A quick glance around showed no cameras within, which meant. Roman sighed with relief as he slipped two jars of Crofters jam out from under his jacket, setting them once more in the Cup where they would no longer be at risk of falling to the ground and shattering. 

Confidence may not always work despite what his Dad had said. But a large enough distraction would guarantee a flawless getaway every time.


End file.
